Dispensing container with axially rotary closure for plural dispensing outlets



Jan. 23, 1968 w. F. LODDING ET AL 3,365,106 DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH AXIALLY ROTARY CLOSURE FOR PLURAL DISPENSING OUTLETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 19, 1965 v 3 22 TO 45 4- INVENTORS- WILLIAM E LODDING MINDAUGAS J.KLYG|S Jan. 23, 1968 w. F. LODDING E AL 3,365,106

DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH AXIAIJLY ROTARY CLOSURE FOR PLURAL DISPENSING OUTLETS Filed Nbv. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WILLIAM F. LODDING 2 MINDAUGAS J. KLYGIS ATTORNEYj United States Patent 3,365,106 DISPENSING CQNTAINER WITH AXIALLY R0- TARY CLGSURE FOR PLURAL DISPENSING OUTLETS William F. Lodding, Orland Park, and Mindaugas J. Klygis, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 508,677 5 Claims. (Cl. 222-485) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing container and rotatable closure for selectively positioning dispensing apertures in relative dispensing and non-dispensing positions. The closure includes a plurality of downwardly and radially inwardly reinforced flaps which function to close apertures in the container, prevent the container neck from deforming radially inwardly, and also facilitate axial alignment between the closure and the container during the assembly thereof.

This invention relates to a novel dispensing container formed solely of a container body and a dispensing closure, and is particularly directed to the provision of sealing means carried by the dispensing closure for cooperating with lands and valleys in a terminal peripheral portion of a neck of the container to selectively permit and prevent the dispensing of a product from the interior of the dispensing container.

It is conventional to form dispensing containers which are generally of a three-part construction including a container body and a pair of caps which are generally telescoped relative to each other. One of the caps, generally an innermost cap, is secured to the neck of the container to prevent rotation of the inner cap with respect to the container. The second of the caps, generally the outermost cap, is telescoped externally of the innermost cap and the container neck, and is mounted for rotation relative to both the innermost cap and the neck of the container. Both the inner and outer caps are provided with dispensing openings which are in registration in a dispensing position and are out of registration with each other in a non-dispensing position of the closure.

Such conventional dispensing containers generally include many inherent disadvantages as, for example, the relatively high cost of manufacturing each of the three elements and thereafter preassembling the two caps, as is customary, and then assembling the preassembled caps upon the container. From both a practical and economical standpoint it can be recognized that to construct such conventional dispensing containers from less than the usual three components would be highly desirable from a manufacturing standpoint, particularly if a dispensing container of fewer than three components is as efficient and commercially acceptable as known dispensing containers. Furthermore, in the case of dispensing containers formed from plastic material by known molding processes, the less components required represent a significant saving in the cost of the molding dies.

Recently dispensing containers have been formed of a two-part construction including a container body and a single rotatable dispensing cap provided with dispensing openings. In one such dispensing container the closure includes a peripheral skirt which is secured to a neck of the container and is rotatable relative thereto between dispensing and non-dispensing positions. Sealing means are provided to prevent the escape of a product packaged in the container when the closure is in the non-dispensing 3,365,106 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 position thereof. However, it has been found that conventional sealing means in such two-piece dispensing containers fail to affect a positive seal in a non-dispensing position of the closures and undesirable product leakage in the non-dispensing position of the closures occurs.

Another difiiculty with such two-piece dispensing containers is the difliculty of accurately aligning the dispensing closure with the container during the assembly thereof. Furthermore, once the dispensing closure and container has been assembled the internal forces maintaining the closure and container assembled tend to deflect or cant a wall portion of the container adjacent the closure resulting in the formation of minute passages or voids through which the product packaged in the container can escape even though the closure is in the non-dispensing position thereof.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel dispensing container which overcomes the above noted and other disadvantages in conventional two and three-piece dispensing containers by providing means for assuring the accurate alignment of a dispensing closure relative to a container body during and after the assembly of these components, and the further provision of secondary sealing means which insure against the inadvertent or accidental escape of a product from the container when the closure is in a non-dispensing position thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing container which includes a container body and a dispensing closure, the container body having a neck which is provided with passage means for placing an interior of the container body in fluid communication with the exterior thereof, the closure having an end panel provided with a plurality of dispensing openings, and the closure being provided with sealing means to close the passage means of the container to prevent a product packaged within the container from being dispensed in a non-dispensing position of the closure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing container of the type immediately abovedescribed in which the means carried by the closure for preventing product dispensing are a plurality of depending flaps which close the passages of the container, and the flaps being constructed and arranged to perform the additional functions of facilitating the axial alignment of the closure and container during and after the assembly thereof, and supporting a portion of the container body against inward deformation under the influence of forces maintaining the dispensing closure and container in assembled relationship.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a novel dispensing container constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates a dispensing closure secured to a neck of a container body.

FIGURE 2 is a reduced sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates depending sealing flaps of the closure closing generally radial pas sages in a neck of the container in the non-dispensing position of the closure.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and more clearly illustrates the flaps of the dispensing closure closing the passages of the container.

- FIGURE 4 is a reduced fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 3, and more clearly illustrates the sealing contact between the closure flaps and radially inwardly offset wall portions of the container neck.

FIGURE 5 is a reduced sectional view taken generally along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the dispensing position of the dispensing closure with the flaps no longer closing the passages of the container.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, and illustrates a path of product travel outwardly of the container body during a dispensing operation.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 77 of FIGURE 6, and additionally illustrates the passage of a product outwardly from the container body during a dispensing operation.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the dispensing container prior to the asesembly of the container body and the closure, and clearly illustrates the formation of the flaps carried by the closure and the particular configuration of the container neck resulting in the formation of passages therein.

A novel dispensing container constructed in accordance with this invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 10 and consists solely of two components, i.c., a container 11 and a closure 12. The container 11 and the closure 12 are preferably constructed from plastic material, such as linear polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material. The closure 12 is preferably constructed by conventional injection molding processes while the container 11 is preferabl blow-molded.

The closure 12 of the dispensing container 11 comprises an end wall or panel 13 (FIGURE 3) having a plurality of dispensing means in the form of arcuate dispensing openings 14. The dispensing openings 14 are identically circumferentially spaced from each other and each dispensing opening 14 is spaced an identical distance from the axis of the closure 12. There are six such dispensing openings 14 iHustrated in the drawings (FIGURE l) but more or less than the number of illustrated dispensing openings can, of course, be provided in the closure 12 in accordance with this invention.

A depending peripheral skirt 15 (FIGURES 3, 6 and 8) forms an integral portion of the closure 12 depending from the end panel 13. The skirt 15 has an interior surface or wall 17 and terminates in an inwardly directed circumferential locking rib 20 (FIGURE 3) above which, as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 6, is an annular groove 21 opening radially inwardly toward the axis of the closure 12.

A pair of radially inwardly directed identical pro ections 22 (FIGURES 2 and 3) form an integral portion of the closure 12 at the juncture of the end panel 13 and the peripheral skirt 15. The projections 22 are in generally diametrically opposed relationship and serve as abutment means cooperable with the container 11, as will appear more fully hereafter, to accurately locate the closure 12 in dispensing and non-dispensing positions thereof.

Sealing means in the form of a plurality of identical flaps 23 depend from the end panel 13 of the closure 12. There are six such flaps illustrated in the drawings corresponding to the number of dispensing openings 14, and the flaps 23 are similarly identically circumferentially spaced from each other and from the axis of the closure 12. Each fiap is spaced radially inwardly from the peripheralskirt 15 of the closure 12, and an identical integral rib 24 reinforces the flaps 23 against radial inward deflection, as will appear more fully hereafter.

Each flap 23 includes a wall portion 25 adjacent the end panel 13. The wall portion 25 of each flap 23 is arcuate in cross sectional configuration (FIGURES 2 and 7) and includes a sealing surface 26 (FIGURES 2 and 4). A terminal end portion 27 of each of the flaps 23 curves radially inwardly and axially downwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The curved or inclined portion 27 of each of the flaps 23 facilitates the assembly of 4 the closure 12 upon the container 11, as will appear more fully hereafter.

The container 11 comprises a container body 35 having an upper shoulder 36 (FIGURE 8) merging in an upstanding neck or finish, generally referred to by the reference numeral 37. The neck 37 includes an outer surface 38, an inner surface 40 and a terminal peripheral surface 41. The inner surface 40 defines a dispensing mouth or opening (unnumbered) of the container 11.

The neck 37 of the container body 35 includes a generally circumferentially radially outwardly directed rib 42 which is snap-fit into the groove 21 of the closure 12, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 6 of the drawings. The circumferential rib 42 and the groove 21 form interlocking means for securing the closure 12 upon the neck 37 while permitting relative rotation therebetween. The circumferential rib 42 and the groove 21 also form a seal to prevent a product (not shown) packaged in the container 11 from leaking outwardly from between the outer surface 38 of the neck 37 and the inner surface 17 of the closure 12 in a dispensing position, as will be more apparent hereafter.

The neck 37 of the container body 35 includes a plurality of upstanding protuberances 43 through 48 (FIG- URE 2) defining lands or land portions adjacent axially lower valley or valley portions 53 through 58 (FIGURES 2 and 8). There are six such land and valley portions illustrated in the drawings, corresponding to the number of dispensing openings 14 and flaps 23 of the dispensing closure 12.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawings, each of the lands 43 through 48 comprises an axially upstanding radially outermost wall 64, upstanding side walls 65, 66 and an upper or top wall 67. One of the abutments or projections 22 (FIGURES 2 and 5) carried by the closure 12 is positioned between the side walls 65, 66 of the respective lands 43, 48 while the other of the abutments 22 is positioned between the side Walls 65, 66 of the respective lands 46, 45. In the non-dispensing position of the closure 12 (FIGURE 2), the abutments 22, 22 contact the surfaces 65, 65 of the respective lands 43, 46. However, upon the rotation of the closure 12 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in FIGURE 5, the abutments 22. 22 contact the side walls 66, 66 of the lands 45 and 48. In this manner the closure 12 is limited in its rotary movement between dispensing and non-dispensing positions thereof.

The valleys 43 through 48 are each defined by an axially upstanding wall (unnumbered) positioned between adjacent side walls 65, 66 of the lands 43, 48. The walls defining the valleys 53 through 58 are each reamed or cut out to an arcuate configuration to define a plurality of identical passages, gaps or openings, generally referred to by the reference numeral 70, between adjacent ones of the lands 43 through 48 through which a product packaged in the container body 35 may flow during a dispensing operation to be described hereafter. Because of the difference in the height of the walls (unnumbered) defining the valleys 53 through 58 and the lands 43 through 48, the terminal surface or edge 41 of the container body 35 is of an undulating configuration and imparts an undulating appearance to the neck 37 (FIGURE 8). The lands 43 through 48 and the valleys 53 through 58 are spaced substantially identical radial distances from the container body axis with the inner surface 40 being positioned from the container axis a distance approximately equal to the radial distance between each of the sealing surfaces 26 of the flaps 23 and the axis of the closure 12. Because of this dimensioning the dispensing passages 70 can be effectively sealed or closed by the flaps 23 in a first non-dispensing position of the closure 12 (FIGURES 2 through 4), and upon the rotation of the closure 12 to a second dispensing position (FIGURES 5 through 7 spaces or passages (unnumbered) between the flaps 23 permit the passage of a product outwardly through the passages 70 as will appear more fully immediately hereafter.

The closure 12 is fitted upon the neck 37 of the container 11 in the manner best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 6 of the drawings. During the assembly of the closure 12 upon the container 11 the inclined portions 27 of each of the flaps 23 guide the closure 12 into axial alignment with the container body 35. The closure 12 is snapped upon the container 11 to interlock the groove 21 and the rib 42, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. During this assembly the peripheral skirt of the closure 12 is deflected radially outward and thereafter rebounds radially inwardly under the influence of forces built up in the skirt during the radial outward deformation thereof. In the interlocked position of the closure and container the forces inherent in the peripheral skirt tend to force the neck 37 radially inwardly which, unless otherwise provided for, would cause the upper edge 41 of the neck 37 to cant inwardly and produce slight voids or fissures between the surface 41 and the inner surface (unnumbered) of the end panel 13 through which a product packaged in the container could inadvertently escape in a nondispensin-g position of the closure 12. However, the upper wall portions of the flaps 23 which are reinforced by the ribs 34 contact the interior surface 41 of the neck 37 and prevent the same from being deformed or canted radially inwardly, thus preventing the escape of a product from the interior of the container body in the non dispensing position of the closure 12.

Upon the rotation of the dispensing closure 12 to the dispensing position illustrated in FIGURES 5-7 of the drawings each of the dispensing openings 14 is brought into overlying relationship to an area between adjacent ones of the lands 43 through 48 and each of the passages 70 is progressively opened in the manner clearly illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings. Upon the inverting of the dispensing container 10, a product packaged in the container body 35 passes through the neck 37 and each of the passages 70 into the areas between adjacent pairs of the lands 43-48 and thereafter through associated ones of the dispensing openings 14 to atmosphere, as is graphically illustrated by the headed unnumbered arrows passing from the interior of the neck 37 outwardly through the illustrated dispensing openings 14 in FIG- URES 6 and 7 of the drawings.

It should be particularly noted that the flaps 23 contact the interior surface 41 in any position of rotation of the closure 12 with respect to the container 11 and the portion 25 of each of the flaps 27 thereby prevents the container neck 37 and the upper edge portion 41 thereof in particular from canting radially inwardly.

Upon the rotation of the closure 12 to the non-dispensing position illustrated in FIGURES 2 through 4 of the drawings, the wall portions 25 of the flaps 23 are brought into overlying sealing contact with each of the passages 7 0. In this position of the closure 12 a primary sealing is effected bet-ween the interior surface of the closure end panel 13 and the top wall 67 of each of the lands 43 through 48. A secondary seal is elfected between the armate sealing surface 26 of each of the flaps 23 and the interior surface adjacent each of the passages 70, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings. In this manner the primary and secondary seals prevent any material from inadvertently leaking outwardly of the container in the closed or non-dispensing position of the closure 12.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is directed to the fact that additional variations may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body having an upper end portion, said upper end portion having means defining passages for dispensing a product from the interior of said body, a closure secured to said upper end portion, said closure including passage means opening between the interior and exterior of said closure, said passages and passage means being adapted to conduct a dispensable product from the container body to atmosphere, said closure being movable relative to said container body between dispensing and non-dispensing positions thereof, said closure including an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, a plurality of flaps depending from said end panel in spaced relationship to each other to define an opening between adjacent pairs of said flaps, said flaps being positioned to close said passages in the nondispensing position of said closure, and said opening being positioned in alignment with said passages in the dispensing position of said closure.

2. A dispensing container comprising a container body having an upper end portion, said upper end portion having means defining passages opening in a generally radial direction between the exterior and interior of said upper end portion, a closure secured to said upper end portion, said closure including passage means opening between the interior and exterior of said closure, said passages and passage means being adapted to conduct a dispensible product from the container body to atmosphere, said closure being movable relative to said container body between dispensing and non-dispensing positions thereof, said closure including an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, a plurality of flaps depending from said end panel in spaced relationship to each other to define an opening between adjacent pairs of said flaps, said flaps being positioned to close said passages in the non-dispensing position of said closure, and said opening being positioned in alignment with said passages in the dispensing position of said closure.

3. A dispensing container comprising a container body having an upper end portion, said upper end portion having means defining passages opening in a generally radial direction between the exterior and interior of said upper end portion, a closure secured to said upper end portion, said closure including passage means opening between the interior and exterior of said closure, said passages andpassage means being adapted to conduct a dispensible product from the container body to atmosphere, said closure being movable relative to said container body between dispensing and non-dispensing positions thereof, said closure including an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, a plurality of flaps depending from said end panel in spaced relationship to each other to define an opening between adjacent pairs of said flaps, said flaps being positioned to close said passages in the non-dispens ing position of said closure, said opening being positioned in alignment with said passages in the dispensing position of said closure, and means forming integral portions of said flaps for facilitating the axial alignment of said closure relative to said container body.

4. In a closure of the type including an end panel, a peripheral skirt, means for securing the closure to a container, and means for dispensing a product from a container through said closure, the improvement comprising means for performing the combined functions of preventing the passage of a product from a container with which the closure is associated and preventing the inward defiection of the container under the influence of radially inwardly directed forces applied to the container by the peripheral skirt, said combined preventing means being defined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially downwardly directed flaps integral with said end panel, and reinforcing means inwardly of said flaps in bridging relationship between said flaps and said end panel.

5. In a closure of the type defined in claim 4 wherein said reinforcing means are substantially radially disposed reinforcing ribs.

(References on following page) References Cied UNITED STATES PATENTS Nev/e11 222484 Hachmann 222553 Brink 222-486 X Moran 222-553 Armour 222548 McDona1d 222548 8 Daly 222482 Abt 222482 Prahl 222545 X Scholts 222482 X Santore 222-484 Cherba 222-553 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

